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2025 ACDA National Conference March 18-22, 2025 Dallas, Texas

Shaping the Sound:
Attaining Authenticity in

Your Jazz Vocal Ensemble

Friday 9:00 am - 9:50 am

Moody Performance Hall
Auditorium

The session will demonstrate the artistic and perfor-
mance practices of creating an authentic jazz sound
in your vocal ensemble. It will focus on how to achieve Shattering Barriers:
that sound through proper vocal pedagogy that is syn- Empowering Women of Color
onymous with a small traditional chamber ensemble in Choral Leadership
choir combined with jazz and contemporary instru-
mental articulation and style. The session, through
short demonstrations (live and recorded), will focus on
stylistic differences and similarities between the genres Saturday 10:00 am - 10:50 am
and will teach you “step by step” how to achieve the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
desired sound that honors the jazz and contemporary Grand Salon
traditions.

Darden Purcell is a soloist with symphony Join us for an empowering session dedicated to ampli-
orchestras, big bands and small ensem- fying the voices by women conductors of color. Draw-
bles, and jazz vocal educator. Her ensem- ing upon academic research, real-world examples, and
bles have performed at the Kansas City practical strategies, attendees will learn how to identify,
Jazz Summit, VMEA conference, Jazz navigate, and challenge the systemic barriers and biases
Education Network conferences and have shared the that have hindered the advancement of women conduc-
stage with The New York Voices, Manhattan Trans- tors of color in the field. In a landscape where traditional
fer, and ACCENT. Purcell has presented/directed at paths to success often overlook diverse perspectives, this
VMEA, PMEA, and Baltimore All-County festivals; session shines a spotlight on the resilience, creativity, and
Southern ACDA Region; in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the leadership of women who are forging new paths in the
Institute for Jazz Research, Graz, Austria. She is the choral world.
director of jazz studies, jazz voice instructor, and direc-
tor of the Downbeat Award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Erika Tazawa is the assistant director of
Ensemble at George Mason University. choral activities at Kennesaw State Uni-
versity, where she conducts the Chamber
Members of the George Mason University Mason Jazz Singers, Chorale, and Men’s Ensemble.

Vocal Ensemble will serve as the demonstration choir Prior to her appointment at KSU, she
for this session. served on faculty at Emory University. Tazawa enjoys a
versatile and collaborative musical career, actively per-
forming as a conductor, pianist, vocal coach, and guest

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2025 Volume 65 Number 5 61